Page 98 - Šolsko polje, XXIX, 2018, no. 5-6: Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Conflicting Diversity, eds. Mitja Sardoč and Tomaž Deželan
P. 98
šolsko polje, letnik xxix, številka 5–6
who were punished for their disgraceful acts (i.e. fighting against ISIS).
They had to dig their own graves and the movie ends with the prisoners’
mass murder, with their bodies falling into shallow graves. Such propa-
ganda tools can have a very strong pull and push effect for potential candi-
dates for radicalisation and Jihadisation, and also strong deterrent effects
on all people who disagree with ISIS.
Gartenstein-Ross, Barr and Moreng (2016: p. 15) found three core
messages in ISIS propaganda:
- Successful restoration of the caliphate by ISIS, making it the only
authentic Islamic state on the globe;
- A message that ISIS is the only legitimate Islamic organisation in the
world, from theological, legal, and political points of view, therefore
it nullifies existing governments, rival Jihadi organisations, and also
political Islamic groups;
- A message that ISIS is more capable and unified than al-Qaeda ever
was.
These messages show that a terrorist group leads its propaganda ef-
forts not only against its direct enemies, but also against its Islamic rivals
as well. The propaganda is made in a way to attract potential followers and
recruits, and to radicalize them further towards the use of violence.
The question in the present information age is also what role mod-
ern social information media plays in the radicalisation process. Modern
social information networks are based on websites and applications that
enable users to create and share content or to participate in social net-
working (Oxford Dictionary, 2018). Social media represent a group of in-
ternet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological
foundations of the Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of
any user-generated content. Forms of social media are scattered across not
only Facebook and Twitter, but across internet forums, message boards,
product-review websites, blogs, open editable contents and websites
that share picture and video material. Such examples include Facebook,
Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Wikipedia, Second Life, etc.
(Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010: p. 61).
All these social media platforms can be used and misused by the ter-
rorist and radical groups, as propagandistic messages can easily be spread to
great numbers of recipients. Additionally, as stated by Taylor (2017), propa-
ganda dissemination through the internet, offers anonymity on high lev-
els, as well quick site relocation, which lowers risks of apprehension by law
enforcement. Hegghammer (2016: p. 163) identified several potential ben-
efits of internet (mis)usage by Jihadi terrorist groups: speed, cheapness,
96
who were punished for their disgraceful acts (i.e. fighting against ISIS).
They had to dig their own graves and the movie ends with the prisoners’
mass murder, with their bodies falling into shallow graves. Such propa-
ganda tools can have a very strong pull and push effect for potential candi-
dates for radicalisation and Jihadisation, and also strong deterrent effects
on all people who disagree with ISIS.
Gartenstein-Ross, Barr and Moreng (2016: p. 15) found three core
messages in ISIS propaganda:
- Successful restoration of the caliphate by ISIS, making it the only
authentic Islamic state on the globe;
- A message that ISIS is the only legitimate Islamic organisation in the
world, from theological, legal, and political points of view, therefore
it nullifies existing governments, rival Jihadi organisations, and also
political Islamic groups;
- A message that ISIS is more capable and unified than al-Qaeda ever
was.
These messages show that a terrorist group leads its propaganda ef-
forts not only against its direct enemies, but also against its Islamic rivals
as well. The propaganda is made in a way to attract potential followers and
recruits, and to radicalize them further towards the use of violence.
The question in the present information age is also what role mod-
ern social information media plays in the radicalisation process. Modern
social information networks are based on websites and applications that
enable users to create and share content or to participate in social net-
working (Oxford Dictionary, 2018). Social media represent a group of in-
ternet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological
foundations of the Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of
any user-generated content. Forms of social media are scattered across not
only Facebook and Twitter, but across internet forums, message boards,
product-review websites, blogs, open editable contents and websites
that share picture and video material. Such examples include Facebook,
Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Wikipedia, Second Life, etc.
(Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010: p. 61).
All these social media platforms can be used and misused by the ter-
rorist and radical groups, as propagandistic messages can easily be spread to
great numbers of recipients. Additionally, as stated by Taylor (2017), propa-
ganda dissemination through the internet, offers anonymity on high lev-
els, as well quick site relocation, which lowers risks of apprehension by law
enforcement. Hegghammer (2016: p. 163) identified several potential ben-
efits of internet (mis)usage by Jihadi terrorist groups: speed, cheapness,
96
